Communicating Effectively with the C-Suite Kenneth Maddock, BSEET Vice President of Clinical Engineering and Telecomm Services, Baylor Health Care System 10/11/2015 © 2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation 1

What is the “C-Suite?” Healthcare executives such as: Chief Executive Officer Chief Information Officer Chief Technology Officer Chief Operating Officer Chief Financial Officer Chief Medical Officer Chief Nursing Officer 10/11/2015 © 2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation 2

Top six concerns among healthcare executives: 1.Financial challenges 2.Patient safety/quality of care 3.Care for the uninsured 4.Physician-hospital relations 5.Personnel shortages 6.Healthcare reform 10/11/2015 © 2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation 3

Establishing Credibility Establish credibility by: Doing a good job Know Your stuff Prepare... Then prepare for the unexpected Know the benefits & challenges – technical, clinical, & business 10/11/2015 © 2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation 4

Establishing Credibility Establish credibility by: Interacting with others Be more than the repair guys; get involved in your customer’s business Show interest in their issues Everyone is positive and professional 100% of the time! 10/11/2015 © 2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation 5

Establishing Credibility Establish credibility by: Collaborating with others to expand your knowledge of the hospital’s “big picture” Get involved in projects outside of your area Figure out what problems need to be solved and help to solve them Don’t be afraid to take risks, be a leader 10/11/2015 © 2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation 6

Establishing Credibility Establish credibility by: Being a healthcare professional, not just a technology professional. Learn all aspects of the business, such as: Finance Clinical applications Non-technical regulatory issues 10/11/2015 © 2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation 7

Understanding your Audience As medical technology professionals, we are masters of technical intricacies, details, and minutia. 10/11/2015 © 2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation 8

Understanding your Audience Hospital executives focus on the “big picture.” They oversee many departments, budgets, functions, and employees. 10/11/2015 © 2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation 9

Understanding your Audience Executives operate systemically and institutionally, and they report to a Board of Directors, striving toward a mission. They act on a vision and strategies. This is the level at which they engage—and the level at which we must demonstrate our value. 10/11/2015 © 2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation 10

Understanding your Audience Keep communication brief, simple, and factual Speak their language (remember the healthcare executive priorities— financial concerns and patient safety) Be prepared! 10/11/2015 © 2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation 11

Speak Their Language Human Factors Human factors is the discipline that studies how human beings interact with technology as well as how technology affects human performance, primarily in industrial setting. Making the right thing to do the easy thing to do! 10/11/ © 2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation

Speak Their Language Accountable Care Organization An Accountable Care Organization, or ACO for short, is a health system model with the ability to provide, and manage with patients, the continuum of care across different institutional settings, including at least ambulatory (outpatient) and inpatient hospital care and possibly post acute care. 10/11/201513

Speak Their Language Medical Home The Medical Home, also known as the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH), is defined as an approach to providing comprehensive primary care... that facilitates partnerships between individual patients, and their personal providers, and when appropriate, the patient’s family 10/11/ © 2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation

Understanding your Audience Avoid tech-speak or biomed jargon Be a technology facilitator, not a road- block Remember that they think in sound bites Focus on the things you have in common with them (saving money, patient safety, patient satisfaction, increasing revenue, improving outcomes) 10/11/ © 2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation

Understanding your Audience 10/11/ © 2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation

What Does Success Look Like? Collaborative partnerships with IT, clinicians, and others Being viewed as a reliable group that solves big problems Using metrics to measure and demonstrate success 10/11/ © 2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation

Real-Life Examples Executive Sponsor for IT transition at newly acquired site Leading effort to manage mobile equipment throughout organization Leadership cultivates relationships 10/11/ © 2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation

Goal 4 of AAMI’s Strategic Plan Define profession and qualifications for clinical technology management and its role and value in healthcare delivery. 10/11/ © 2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation

AAMI’s Technology Management Council The TMC is helping to raise the profile of medical technology professionals through efforts such as: Biomedical/Clinical Engineering Appreciation Week A new brochure designed specifically for the C-Suite Developing a standardized name for the profession, and defining qualifications for the field Establishing a core curriculum for BMET educational programs AAMI’s Benchmarking Solution The CE-IT Community Providing networking opportunities And much more 10/11/ © 2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation

References & Resources AAMI Technology Management Council (TMC) TMC Connect ( complimentary resources, sample documents, and more AAMI’s Benchmarking Solution ( compare performance, policies, and procedures against similar departments at other facilities TMC’s LinkedIn page ( 1,000+ members sharing best practices TMC BMET Profession video ( to raise awareness of the BMET field YouTube and Vimeo 10/11/ © 2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation

Questions? 10/11/ © 2011 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation